More
She knows her brother's number by heart. But she doesn't tell them. Ever.
When her college class talks about prison, it's always a few steps removed.
12.05.14
That's because when many of us think about prison, we think about what we see on TV.
Or in movies.
It's understandable. For many of us, prison is abstract. It's not real. But for her...
Like so many others, prison is just another part of daily life. It's always there. And when other people talk about prison, they're not talking about a fantasy. They're talking about her brother.
Loving her brother — a five-time felon — isn't always easy. Life can be strange.
And violent.
And sometimes so completely devastating.
So having to explain what it's like to have a loved one in prison to someone who hasn't experienced it just feels wrong. But she sums it up in five haunting words. When you love someone in prison, "Everyone is on the inside."